Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy a few days back flared a debate on social media by saying youth should work 70 hours a week, however, Indians are already the sixth most hardworking out of163 countriesin the world.
The ranking is based on taking the average number of hours per week for each employed person in India, which works out to 47.7 hours, according to the latest International Labour Organisation (ILO) data of April 2023.
The report reveals that Indians work longer than workers in China (46.1 hours), Vietnam (41.5 hours), Malaysia (43.2 hours), the Philippines (39.2 hours), Japan (36.6 hours), the United States (36.4 hours) and the United Kingdom (35.9 hours). Also, Indians work less than in smaller countries with small populations such as Bhutan, the Congo, Lesotho, and Gambia.
Furthermore, India has the most weekly hours of employment among the top ten global economies but the lowest per capita GDP. On the other hand, France has one of the greatest per Capita GDP with lowest weekly hours of 30.1 hours.
Despite this, Indian wages remain among the lowest globally, with manufacturing wages at $0.8 per hour — far below those in China, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Indonesia comes closest to India at $1 per hour, as reported by Morgan Stanley Research.
As per available sources, the companies with work-life balance policies benefit from increased employee retention, better recruitment, reduced absenteeism, and heightened productivity. Consequently, several countries are considering making a four-day workweek standard, significantly reducing working hours. Some developed nations are already testing this, such as Belgium, which in 2022 allowed workers to choose a four-day week without a pay cut to foster a more dynamic and productive economy.
Similar report from the past years suggests that in 2016, India has been ranked among 15 most hardworking nations, whereas in 2018, reports and surveys spotted India at 7th position.
